Protecting Our Identity

You do not need expensive tools or pay hundreds of dollars to secure your system. In fact you can protect your system the way security companies do it though the steps does not require to spend money it does require a lot time and effort.

1. Visit AnnualCreditReport.com to get a free credit report copy. But beware in doing this because there are sites that look like it that asks you to subscribe to their service especially credit-monitoring. Or you can order thru phone at 877-322-8228.

2. Every three months get a copy of your credit report form different bureau. Check the report for unusual information like accounts that you did not open.

3. Call one of the credit card agency to place fraud alert on your credit information.

4.In your online calendar place a recurring alert notifying you after 90 days for you to renew your fraud alert.

5. By visiting OptOutPrescreen.com you can prevent your credit information from being sold to credit services or you can call 888/567-8688 to this. When you do this it will lessen offers that you receive for pre-approved credit card.

6. A public records report can be ordered from ChoicePoint for free. To do this print a form, mail it together with copies of your proof of address and driver’s license. After receiving the report search for information that is not associated to you.

7. ProQuo.com offers a free service where in you can remove your name from other marketing lists. In some cases, you will need to send out letters or browse to a marketer’s own website to complete the opt-out request you made.

8. As much as possible your mailbox should have a lock or you can simply use post office box. Doing so will prevent thieves from stealing your mail that may contain your personal information.

9. If in case you are going to get rid of your credit reports make sure you shred them in to pieces or make use of a shredder.

10. If you are sent an email asking you to click on a link and log onto your bank account, never do so. Instead type manually the address of your bank into the address bar, place it in the bookmark and that is the link you should use to log on to your account. Not doing so will give phishers the chance to retrieve your personal information.

11. In case you suspect that your identity was stolen report it immediately to I dentity Theft Resource Center. There are volunteers there who can assist you on how you can restore your identity.

12. There are a lot of resources where you can read information on avoiding identity theft and what actions to take if it happens. Here are some sites and organizations you can visit the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, IdentityTheft.org by Mari Frank and Federal Trade Commission.





By: Ace Smith

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Credit cards have been very commonplace that identity theft has also become one of the most common crimes being done today. The severity of this problem has blown out of proportion and hundreds of millions to billions of dollars each year are being stolen because of this.

The US Congress has put up laws to curb the rise of identity theft but it hasn’t made a major dent yet. While we have laws that help us in becoming victims and also punish those caught committing them, it is also up to us to protect ourselves from identity theft. And one of the most effective and easiest way to do this is by protecting our credit cards.

One sordid fact that the US Federal Trade Commission have released to the public is that victims of Identity theft can take an average of a year before they even know that they have been taken by identity thieves. So by the time a person realizes this, he or she may already be deep in debt.

It’s not the time though to panic. Identity theft can be curbed and prevented. All you have to do is to ensure that your credit card and your credit card information is not known to just anyone. There are very simple precautions one can do to ensure the safety of your credit card.

First off, always know where your cards are. If possible, don’t go shopping with a number of cards with you, this may create confusion. Only take a card that you will be suing with you. When paying with your card, never let it out of your sight. Make sure that your card will be charged in your plain view. Some people may copy the information as well as the all important security number at the back of the card and use it over the internet.

Memorize your PIN (Personal identification Number) and don’t trust anybody with it. People may use your credit card to withdraw money. So if you have received your credit card make sure to memorize it and quickly destroy the paper where it is written. Also, make sure not to write down your PIN and store it in your wallet. Your credit card and the PIN should never be together, in case you lost your wallet, the person who finds it would find a hard time using it without the PIN. Make sure to report a stolen or lost credit card immediately, this will prevent it from being used by anyone.

Also, be wary of emails that will ask you for your credit card details and information. This is called phishing, there are a number of scammers in the internet who would use email as a means to scam you out of your hard earned money. You may think that the email came from reputable establishment or financial institution offering great deals but they may just be from these scamming people. Make sure to delete this type of email and never provide information to it.

One great way to check if you are already a victim of identity theft is by checking your credit report once in a while. This is no problem since it can be done online and it is also free. You can find a number of websites which can provide you with this information. So be on your guard and protect your identity by protecting your credit card.



By: Mario Churchill

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Identity felt is where a criminal obtains your personal information such as Social Security number, credit card numbers, bank information, address, phone number, and birthday. While the methods used to obtain this information are numerous and varied, certain protective steps can be taken to reduce the chances of this crime happening. In order to protect yourself from identity theft, it is important to understand how a criminal get your information, why it is often difficult to detect your stolen information, and how someone can minimize the possibility of becoming an identity theft victim. It is the goal of this article to explore how an identity theft thief gains access to personal identification and what someone can do to prevent it.

The methods a criminal may use to obtain your personal identification are as varied as the victims themselves and while there is never a guarantee of not becoming a victim, there are certain steps one can take to greatly reduce the danger. While identity theft criminals have developed many ways of gaining access to your personal information and are continuing to come up with new ideas all of the time, the most widely methods used are still the easiest ones to block which can make prevention easier. Below is a list of the most widely used methods an identity theft criminal will use to gain access to your personal information.

1. Dumpster Diving: This the process where a criminal digs through trash, hoping to find discarded items such as credit card bills, bank account statements, and other mail which may include sensitive personal information.

2. Skimming: This is a process where a criminal sets up a special storage device that captures your credit card information when making a purchase.

3. Phishing: This is a newer technique that became available with the advent of the Internet and email. A criminal will pretend to be a representative of a financial institution and will send emails stating that your account appears to have been compromised and lead you to a website where you can straighten things out. This is a scam and you will be asked to verify certain personal information that the thief should not have.

4. Pretexting: Once a criminal already has some of your information, they will contact your bank or creditors and using a bogus excuse will persuade the institution to supply additional information to them.

5. Physical stealing: This is the oldest method around and is just as it sounds. A criminal will simply steal somebodies wallet or purse to see if any sensitive information can be obtained.

Once a criminal has access to the above information, they can, and often do, take steps to guarantee that you wont be aware of any activity until it is too late. Crimes such as this include opening a bank account using your name and Social Security number but with an alternate address so you are not aware of the new account or stealing your credit card number then submitting a change of address so you dont get any bills showing suspicious transactions. Some people may catch on fairly quickly with the credit card scheme because they are no longer getting expected billing statements but often times the new bank account scheme doesnt get caught for quite some time. Either way, the victim may not realize what is going on until they start getting notices from bill collectors for debts that they did not incur and by then it may be too late for a simple solution. Once you know how a criminal can steal your information and hide the fact from you, you need to understand what steps you can take to minimize your risk.

While it is virtually impossible to guarantee complete safety from becoming a victim of identify theft, there are some simple steps that a person can take to eliminate, or at least minimize the risk. First and most important is to always dispose of mail with your personal information in a safe way such as shredding or burning and never putting it in your trash where a criminal can find it. Next is to keep a vigilant eye on your credit history. New laws that have been written during the past few years require the major credit reporting companies to provide free credit reports to Americans four times a year and it is a great idea to take advantage of this. Reviewing your credit history on a quarterly basis gives you a great opportunity to look for discrepancies in your file and if you can manage to catch this type of problem early on, it is much easier to fix. You can and should also pay close attention to your monthly bank statements and credit card billing statements for suspicious activity and if you fail to receive billing that you normally receive, take action immediately and contact your financial institutions to find out why. And if you experience outright theft of personal property such as a wallet or purse, make it a point to cancel all debit and credit cards immediately.

After reading this article, it should now be obvious that anybody, including you, can be affected by the identity theft crime and while law enforcement agencies exist to protect us from crime, they are ill equipped in handling this type of crime. While they may be able to help you after becoming a victim, you will still have a long road ahead in repairing your credit. It is a far easier for an individual to take pro-active steps to avoid becoming a victim rather then trying to repair the damage afterwards. Whether you decide to take such steps on your own or employ an anti identity theft program is up to you but for the sake of you and your family, please take steps today.



By: Rick Churchill

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It can happen to anyone. The phone rings and a collection agency demands that you pay past-due accounts for goods you never ordered. The supermarket refuses your checks because you have a history of bouncing them. But you have always paid bills on time. What has happened?

If you’re a victim of identity theft, you could be left with bills, bad credit and the hassle of dealing with financial agencies and police departments to clear your name.

The crime of identity theft is on the rise. Recent surveys show there are currently about 9 million victims each year. Using a variety of methods, criminals steal Social Security numbers, driver’s licenses, credit card numbers, ATM cards, telephone calling cards, and other pieces of individuals’ identities such as date of birth. They use this information to impersonate their victims, spending as much money as they can in as short a time as possible before moving on to someone else’s name and identifying information.

There are two types of identity theft.

- “Account takeover” occurs when a thief acquires your existing credit account information and purchases products and services using either the actual credit card or simply the account number and expiration date.

- “Application fraud” is what some experts call “true name fraud.” The thief uses your SSN and other identifying information to open new accounts in your name. Victims are not likely to learn of application fraud for some time, because the monthly account statements are mailed to an address used by the imposter. In contrast, victims learn of account takeover when they receive their monthly account statement. This guide discusses strategies for reducing the risk of both types of fraud.

Generally, victims of credit card fraud are liable for no more than the first $50 of the loss. (Truth in Lending Act, Fair Credit Billing Act, 15 USC sec. 1601) In most cases, the victim will not be required to pay any part of the loss. But debit card users have less protection against fraud. Not only are individuals’ checking accounts wiped out, debit card users could be liable for the total amount of the loss depending on how quickly they report the loss to the financial institution.

Take these steps to reduce your risk of becoming a victim of identity theft:

1. Reduce the number of credit and debit cards you carry in your wallet. We recommend that you do not use debit cards because of the potential for losses to your checking account (see above). Instead, carry one or two credit cards and your ATM card in your wallet. Nonetheless, debit cards are popular. If you do use them, take advantage of online access to your bank account to monitor account activity frequently. Report evidence of fraud to your financial institution immediately.

2. When using your credit and debit cards at restaurants and stores, pay close attention to how the magnetic stripe information is swiped by the waiter or clerk. Dishonest employees have been known to use small hand-held devices called skimmers to quickly swipe the card and then later download the account number data onto a personal computer. The thief uses the account data for Internet shopping and/or the creation of counterfeit cards.

3. Do not use debit cards when shopping online. Use a credit card because you are better protected in case of fraud.

4. Keep a list or photocopy of all your credit cards, debit cards, bank accounts, and investments — the account numbers, expiration dates and telephone numbers of the customer service and fraud departments — in a secure place (not your wallet or purse) so you can quickly contact these companies in case your credit cards have been stolen or accounts are being used fraudulently.

5. Never give out your SSN, credit or debit card number or other personal information over the phone, by mail, or on the Internet unless you have a trusted business relationship with the company and you have initiated the call. Identity thieves have been known to call their victims with a fake story that goes something like this. “Today is your lucky day! You have been chosen by the Publishers Consolidated Sweepstakes to receive a free trip to the Bahamas. All we need is your Social Security number, credit card number and expiration date to verify you as the lucky winner.”

6. Always take credit card receipts with you. Never toss them in a public trash container. When shopping, put receipts in your wallet rather than in the shopping bag.

7. Never permit your credit card number to be written onto your checks. It’s a violation of laws in most countries, and puts you at risk for fraud.

8. Watch the mail when you expect a new or reissued credit card to arrive. Contact the issuer if the card does not arrive.

9. Order your credit report at least once a year. Federal law gives you the right to one free credit report each year from the three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. If you are a victim of identity theft, your credit report will contain the tell-tale signs inquiries that were not generated by you, as well as credit accounts that you did not open. The earlier you detect fraud, the easier and quicker it will be to clean up your credit files and regain your financial health.

10. Shield your hand when using a bank ATM machine or making long distance phone calls with your phone card. “Shoulder surfers” may be nearby with binoculars or video camera.



By: Thomas Wilhelm

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Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes of this century and it continues to increase for consumers and businesses that are not aware of it, and are not aware of really how easy it is. With credit card companies doing bare minimums on credit checks these days in their efforts to get more credit cards out there (and rake in an amazing amount of money in interest), this only serves to make the problem worse.

Consider the case of Matt Johnson. This is not his real name but the situation described here is very real and Matt remembers it like it was yesterday. Matt owned a small business that was doing quite well, and had always paid his bills on time even while in college. Matt and his wife started talking about a new car so they went car shopping, and eventually fell in love with a particular car where the car dealership was going to make a very good offer to them. Matt filled out the application form, anticipating that there would be no problems whatsoever. But when the salesman came back with a definite cloud over his head, Matt knew something had come up.

The car salesman proceeded to tell Matt that they could not approve him for a loan for his new car. Matt was astounded and asked to see the credit report that the car dealership had quickly pulled. Matt could not believe what he was seeing – page after page of opened accounts with nearly maxed out credit limits, all of them many months past due.

Yes, Matt had become a victim of identity theft, and in the ensuing weeks, Matt started to get calls from various credit card companies asking when he was going to start making payments. It was a real nightmare, and trying to explain that he was a victim of identity theft to the credit card collection agents was met with extreme skepticism. Even today, more than two years later, the problems on Matt’s credit report have not been cleaned up to the 100% level, and Matt has spent an incredible amount of his personal time chasing down the problems and getting them corrected.

This can happen to you too. Do you have an extra 2-4 hours every day for weeks and months on end to rectify this type of problem if it were to happen to you, without having that time you are spending negatively impact your family life or your work? If you are like most of us, the answer is a resounding NO.

There is a solution. Several companies are starting to offer protection against the crime of identity theft. It is like an insurance policy in some respects, because although you hope you never need it, it sure is nice to know that you are protected if the need should arise.

When you are looking at companies that offer such a service, be sure to look beyond just the cost of the service. For a business, the cost is probably a tax write-off, but even if not, compare the cost of the service against the losses you would sustain without it. Then be sure you are clear on exactly what is covered and what is not, and what your limits of liability are. Make sure the identity theft service works with the credit bureaus, who are the first to know when new credit is requested in your name.

Like insurance, you hope you never need it, but consider the degree to which your life and free time would change if you became and victim and did NOT have the protection!



By: Jon Arnold

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I remember the day when computers were first in my classroom. I laugh sometimes just remembering the green front Apple and Orange font IBM computers. When using them little did I know one day there would be graphic rich multimedia with unlimited connectivity to the world and information.

I also remember my friend as a child who had a computer science father. As a birthday gift he gave his son two little boxes with 8 numerical buttons and one little red LCD display on each box. These little boxes were a way for me and my friend to send codes back and forth from each other from our phone lines when at home. We created our own code talk to decipher messages. We felt like spies and had a great time messaging nonsense for hours.

Little did I know as a child that these seemingly simple things would grow into the powerful and world dominating PC and Internet. Even less did I know the impact it would have on all the lives of the world and how easy and fun it would become. As a naive child, I would never imagine the evil that would lurk to destroy such great technological advances.

With the birth of the Internet came the birth of viruses, spyware, and spam. The Internet world could now virally be infected with computer destroying codes almost instantly worldwide along with pop-up ads all over your computer screen and your inbox bombarded with propositions of the unthinkable and bizarre.

Once introduced, the world forever would be on their toes watching their backs for this malicious onslaught of computer created menaces and dangers . The industry created to thwart the destructive codings has boomed and never looked back and it is doubtful that it will ever be out of demand as more lives rely on the Internet and the computers used to access it.

Hundreds of different anti-virus, ant-spam, and anti-spyware software exists today and some can come at a bargain while others can cost you an arm and leg. Some are excellent while others are mediocre, but for today we will discuss good and honest protection that is free.

Spam as we all know can ruin a good visit to the inbox. For protection against spam you must be responsible with your email address and be careful who gets it. Applying for bogus free offers and money making schemes can open up your whole account to the dreaded inbox disease.

If you are needing spam protection you can open up a free email account with Yahoo Mail or HotMail and receive free spam protection with the service without any additional software or setup. Yahoo offers a yearly paid account with additional spam protection if the free version is not enough for you. Yahoo charges about $20.00 a year, which I myself subscribe to.

With spyware you can expect unexpected pop-ups, search intrusions, as well as the possibility of identity theft. This makes spyware no laughing matter and lucky for you you don’t have to pay to be protected. Lavasoft and AVG are just two companies that offer outstanding free anti-spyware software for your computer. Even Yahoo has gotten into the act and have given their toolbar users free spyware software that can be launched from their toolbar. I recommend running it once a day.

Viruses can literally destroy your operating system and even your whole computer which makes this last threat one of the most dangerous when it comes to your PC. You would expect to pay hundreds of dollars perhaps to protect your computer or maybe an annual subscription which is common too. Why even pay when you can get it for free?

There are two great anti-virus programs out there that you can use free for your home computer without any catch other than maybe a registration. I highly recommend these two products and use them for my own computers completely free.

Anti-virus #1: AVG has an anti-virus download that takes care of all the virus updates daily and scans your computer everyday at a specified time which is convenient for those who forget to protect their PCs.

Anti-Virus #2: Avast is an excellent program for keeping both spyware and viruses off of your computer and in the gutter where they belong. They have a more complex registration which requires email authentication and online registration, but only takes about 10 minutes of your time, a lot less time than the hours you have to work to buy a new computer or OS.

Don’t let the word free deter you from these great resources. It is amazing what these companies are offering the general PC population and you should take full advantage of their offer. I use all the mentioned software myself and it just goes to show, some of the best things in life really are free.



By: Aaron Siegel

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Get Copies of Your Credit Report

Send for your credit reports following the instructions from the credit bureaus. Review the reports carefully. Look for creditor’s names that you did not request credit from. Also check your personal information; SSN, address, name, initials and employer information.

Order your credit report at least every three months for the first year of the fraud. Some areas provide a free report every 12 months. Other areas will give you several free reports for the year you report an identity theft. Some will charge for each report. Tell them you are an identity theft victim and ask for a free report.

File a Police Report

Keep records of the fraudulent activity as proof for your report. Blackout unrelated activity and give copies to the police. Give them any new evidence as it turns up and keep a copy of the report as proof for creditors and the credit bureaus.

Collect Account Information

Contact the creditors who issued accounts to the identity thief. The Police may give you a form to request the information. Send a copy of the police report and the account statements to the creditor. Pass any new information over to the police.

Close the Accounts

For NEW Accounts created by the thief: Call the creditors (including credit cards, department stores and cell phone accounts) and ask for their security or fraud department. Tell them you are an identity theft victim and ask them to close the accounts and report the closing to the credit bureau. If the account has already been used by the thief ask them not to hold you responsible for the debt. For EXISTING Accounts used fraudulently by a thief: Close the accounts and ask the creditors to report the closing to the credit bureaus.What can you do to prevent identity theft? Get free adware download and protect your online privacy.

Request that they declare the account “closed at consumer’s request”. If you open a new account don’t use personal information like your mother’s maiden name or your SSN for a password. If those are the only options request to use a different password. Get your free $97 PC Security book at http://www.pc-tool.info/



By: Jason Bauder

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